Galleries

Palace of the Fans Theater

Walking through the Palace of the Fans facade, visitors enter a theater themed as an old ballpark. There is seating for 90 visitors in the wooden grandstand. At the front of the theater is a replica of a Crosley scoreboard (from the 1930s and 1940s era), flanked by two Crosley Field-themed light towers. The scoreboard is transformed into a screen on which guests see the companion film to the Kings of the Queen City exhibit, a 15-minute presentation of the most important and unforgettable moments in Reds history.

Hall of Records

Leaving the theater, guests walk toward the south end of the museum and large windows that overlook what was left-center field of old Riverfront/Cinergy Field. In plain view is the location where Pete Rose's record-breaking hit landed (no. 4,192), on September 11, 1985. The area is covered by a large rose garden, and the exact spot where hit #4,192 landed is marked a white rose bush amidst a sea of red roses.

The interior exhibit space features a reader rail that highlights Rose's career, including a dramatic, 50-foot-high "wall of balls" that includes 4,256 baseballs (the number of hits in Rose's career). Stairs and an elevator lead to more exhibits on the upper floor.

The Front Office

Visitors enter an office-lobby setting marked as the Reds front office. Display cases line the walls. Historic business documents are on display including items related to the 1869 Red Stockings.

Stars of the Queen City

Celebrate Reds All-Star history with Stars of the Queen City. Located on the museum's upper floor, the exhibit features artifacts related to each of the five All-Star Games played in Cincinnati with a particular emphasis on the 2015 Midsummer Classic. The exhibit also includes audio and video highlights from each of the Cincinnati-hosted All-Star Games.

Play Ball!

This gallery includes the Strike Zone Exhibit Presented by Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, a pitching interactive that allows visitors to throw from a Major League-graded mound to a strike zone target 60' 6" away. Balls and strikes are called and pitch speed is measured. Visitors can also sit in the gallery's dugout next to statues of great Reds managers Bill McKechnie and Sparky Anderson.

Kids' Clubhouse

Presented by Cincinnati Children's Hospital

This section of the museum is aimed at visitors 6 and under and features a downsized locker room where Mom and Dad can help their future Hall of Famers wriggle into their Reds jerseys. The section also includes a play area that features a themed slide and a "baseball crawl."

The Reds Are on the Radio

The high point of this gallery is a recreated broadcast booth where visitors can take their place behind the mike to call plays. Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall provide introductory commentary and set the stage for your call. Afterward, you'll be able to hear how they called the same play. Exhibits in this gallery include photos and artifacts representing the writers and broadcasters who have followed the Reds throughout the club's history. Fans can also follow the evolution of broadcasting in an exhibit that explains how announcers used telegraphy to call out-of-town games.

Ultimate Reds Room

Presented by Moerlein Lager House

Ok, so your spouse thinks it's a room full of junk, but you know better. Here is where you keep your "treasures," the memorabilia you have collected and put on display in your tribute to the Reds. The bobbleheads, the pennants, the advertising signs, the baseball cards; they all surround you in your ultimate rec room. Of course there's a big screen TV, and it's playing Reds bloopers and highlights. Settle into one of the Riverfront seats and enjoy the show. Is this heaven, or what?

Glory Days

This large circular gallery highlights the championship teams and is dominated by a tribute to the Big Red Machine. The celebration of the greatest of all Reds teams is highlighted by a memorable representation of the Machine's fabled starting lineup. Presented by Prestige AV & Creative Services, "The Great Eight" statue display includes life-sized statues of Pete Rose, Ken Griffey, Joe Morgan, George Foster, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Dave Concepcion and Cesar Geronimo in a celebration scene inspired by the Reds' memorable victory on the final play of the decisive game of the 1972 NLCS. As visitors enjoy the scene, the dramatic radio call of this play (by Reds play-by-play announcer Al Michaels) provides the sound. Big Red Machine memorabilia, photos and video monitors tell the rest of this story of one of baseball's greatest teams.

The rest of the gallery is devoted to great teams of the past from 1882 to 1999, featuring artifacts, photos and memorabilia from each era. The Reds three World Championship trophies (1975, '76 and '90) are highlighted in the center of the room.

Hall of Fame

A hallway from the glory days room leads to the final gallery, the Reds Hall of Fame. The materials used in the flooring and the walls combine with the lighting to make a statement that this next gallery is very special. Upon entering the Hall of Fame gallery, visitors see the Hall of Fame plaques displayed on freestanding towers. Each tower is four-sided, containing up to eight plaques. The visitors can walk among the towers, moving at their own space, exploring the names, searching for their favorite players. Paying homage to the history of the club and the players, an audio highlight reel plays in the background, filling the space with sounds of great moments in Reds history. A wall-sized panoramic photo of Opening Day 1912 (the first-ever game at Redland/Crosley Field) partially envelopes the Hall of Fame plaques, creating a sense that the greats of the past are still out there, on the field, much to the delight of a sold-out ballpark.

The Hall of Fame gallery concludes the exhibits, and visitors exit down a winding stairway (or by elevator) to the gift shop, the Reds Team Store by Majestic.